All Posts By Maria Russo

Maria Russo is an editor at Food Network, now living in New York City after being born and raised in the great state of Michigan. She likes her eggs runny, her pasta cheesy and has been known to throw back dozens of oysters at a time.

Much like a pizza, a hamburger is a culinary blank canvas; to just a single patty and a soft, chewy bun you can add nearly any ingredient and transform the burger into an all-new creation worthy of breakfast, lunch or dinner. On tonight’s fourth and final episode of Best. Ever., your favorite Food Network chefs are exploring their picks for the Best. Burger. Ever., including meaty beauties stuffed with gooey cheese, classic favorites loaded with green chiles and bold, flavorful all-vegetable burgers.

Before you tune in tonight at 10|9c to learn where you can enjoy the stars’ top finds, FN Dish wants to know: When it comes to between-the-bun specialties, what’s the best burger you’ve ever had, and where did you eat it? Was it a juicy, no-frills burger from the diner, topped with cheddar and ketchup, or perhaps a gourmet-style presentation from a 5-star restaurant? Leave a comment below, tell us on Food Network’s Facebook page or Food Network’s Google+ page, or tweet @FoodNetwork using #BestBurgerEver to tell us your local restaurant picks and share your version of the ultimate burger. FN Dish will round up your answers and reveal your top selections on Thursday.

Cutthroat Kitchen is nothing if not punny, as Alton Brown is notorious for putting literal spins on the challenge dishes, all in an effort to create hilariously diabolical sabotages. When it came time for the competitors to make brownies for dessert on tonight’s all-new big-game episode, he reached for what else but brown bags to auction off as one contestant’s sole mixing and cooking vessel. These everyday bags are surely thin and weak, so would such a mandate be fair to ask of a chef, and is brown-bag baking even possible?

The Cutthroat Kitchen culinary crew set out to answer that very question as they attempted this sabotage before the contest in the latest installment of Testing the Sabotages. After a quick triple-ply maneuver to prevent batter seepage, food stylist Chelsey proclaimed, “Brown-bag brownie. Nailed it,” proving once and for all that brownies can indeed be made in brown bags.

If you’ve started 2015 with a healthy-eating resolution, chances are you’ve found your go-to lighter meals by now, those quick-fix favorites that are better for you but don’t sacrifice flavor. But what about snacks? What do you reach for at 3 in the afternoon when a sweet craving hits? That’s where this week’s Most Popular Pin of the Week comes in. Dig into Food Network’s roundup of 10 easy-to-prepare sweet and savory bites like peanut-butter topped bananas (pictured above), deli roll-ups and next-level hummus for fresh ideas that are sure to satisfy.

Nachos, sliders, wings, dips and beer — for most, February’s big-game day is a chance to indulge in the ultimate spread of snack food, and Anne Burrell is no exception. It brings “a license to go ahead and get down and dirty on all of the stuff I would not normally let myself eat all together,” she recently told FN Dish. Among her must-haves at the tailgate is “a big pot of meatballs” — her Excellent Meatballs, in fact. Anne’s friends practically demand these easy, saucy bites, and the secret to making them comes down to a basic rule: solid seasoning.

Read on below to hear more from Anne about her favorite football foods and how to make then, then find out what she’ll be looking for at the concession stand when she travels to Glendale, Ariz., for the big game on Feb. 1.

It wouldn’t be game day without _____ and _____.Anne Burrell: It wouldn’t be game day without lots of friends and libations.

As is the case in many homes on game day, The Kitchen co-hosts’ football fete featured the ultimate roster of tailgate classics on this morning’s all-new episode. From meaty nachos and next-level chicken wings to deep-dish pizza, chile con queso and boozy slushes, the cast showcased a savory spread of hearty eats and drinks all worthy of your big-game bash.

FN Dish wants to know, when it comes to indulging at your football party, what snack do you most prefer? Are you a fan of sticky, saucy Buffalo-style wings, or do you prefer the warming comfort of beefy chili? Do you dig into creamy dips right away, or do you skip the savory selects to save room for sweet brownies? Share your favorite fan fare by voting in the poll below.

It was all about next-level takes on morning meals this week as both Food Network chefs and stars revealed sweet and savory picks like indulgent red velvet waffles and super-stuffed breakfast burritos on the premiere of Best. Breakfast. Ever. Fans, too, spoke up in favor of their most-mouthwatering breakfasts, as readers from coast to coast shared tales of coffee cakes with a view in California and fruity French toast in Atlanta, and showed over-the-top support for a certain spot in Chicago. Read on below for all of the details.

No matter how dire the scene may be when Robert Irvine arrives at a business, he’s not one to back away from his mission. Over the course of nearly nine seasons, Robert’s surely been tested with fiery owners, filthy kitchens and family feuds, but through it all, he and his Restaurant: Impossible team have given even the seemingly farthest-gone eateries a second chance at success, all with only $10,000 and 48 hours to work. On tonight’s special episode of Restaurant: Impossible, Robert looked back at some of the most-unforgettable transformations, reliving the process it took to shift owners’ perspectives, as well as their kitchens’ cleanliness and dining rooms’ design, and ultimately revealing the impressive finished updates.

Game day may be about the football game first and foremost, but surely Buffalo chicken wings are a close second in importance. Sweet, spicy and saucy, the tried-and-true wings are tailgating must-haves, but the flavors of chicken and Buffalo sauce shine beyond the bone-in meat. From Ree Drummond’s entree salad and Jeff Mauro’s satisfying sub to Food Network Magazine’s decadent mac and cheese, read on below to learn all-new ways to celebrate this classic football food.

It’s no secret that cheese may be the ultimate in comfort food, but at the White House, it’s apparently known for its crowd-pleasing properties as well.

In 1837 then-President Andrew Jackson welcomed Americans into the White House for an open house, where he served visitors slices of cheese off a 1,400-pound block of cheddar and invited them to speak about the most-topical issues of the time. For the second year in a row, the Obama administration is paying tribute to President Jackson’s approachability by hosting a virtual Big Block of Cheese Day wherein all Americans can discuss the key points heard during President Obama’s State of the Union address yesterday. All day today, you can join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #AskTheWH; pose questions on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr for political figures like the White House Press Secretary and Madam Vice President, Dr. Jill Biden, as well as several departments, including the departments of Labor and Transportation.

Valentine’s Day celebrations may come in many forms — from romantic restaurant meals to simple dinners at home or low-key gatherings with friends — but no matter what the day looks like at your house, chocolate should indeed be on the menu. Just in time for Valentine’s Day this year, FN Dish has teamed up with See’s Candies to offer fans the chance to win gift cards, which can be spent on candy for a special someone (or for yourself).

Creamy milk chocolates, nut-studded beauties with caramel, strawberry-laced truffles and smooth peanut butter bites — no matter what kind of treat you’re craving, there’s surely something at See’s to please every taste bud. You can buy your favorite treats from See’s Candies online now, but FN Dish is giving five lucky, randomly selected fans each a $25 gift card for free. The gift cards never expire, and you can use them in See’s Candies shops or on the company’s website. All you have to do to enter to win is leave a comment telling us how you plan to spend Valentine’s Day this year.